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Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73

§950aaa–3 Administration

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 31A— - TELEMEDICINE AND DISTANCE LEARNING SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS › § 950aaa–3

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Require the Secretary to fund projects only if they do not duplicate adequate telemedicine or distance learning already available. Loans must match a facility’s useful life but cannot be longer than 10 years and need adequate security and a reasonable chance of repayment. The Secretary must also encourage groups to work together in rural areas served by telecom providers, coordinate funding with other Federal and State agencies, and run outreach to tell potential rural users in each State about the program.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §950aaa–3

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall ensure that facilities constructed using financial assistance provided under this chapter do not duplicate adequate established telemedicine services or distance learning services.
(b)The maturities of cost of money loans shall be determined by the Secretary, based on the useful life of the facility being financed, except that the loan shall not be for a period of more than 10 years.
(c)The Secretary shall make a cost of money loan only if the Secretary determines that the security for the loan is reasonably adequate and that the loan will be repaid within the period of the loan.
(d)The Secretary shall encourage the development of consortia to provide telemedicine services or distance learning services through telecommunications in rural areas served by a telecommunications provider.
(e)The Secretary shall coordinate, to the extent practicable, with other Federal and State agencies with similar grant or loan programs to pool resources for funding meritorious proposals in rural areas.
(f)The Secretary shall establish and implement procedures to carry out informational efforts to advise potential end users located in rural areas of each State about the program authorized by this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Termination of SectionFor termination of section by section 1(b) of Pub. L. 102–551, see Termination of Chapter note set out under section 950aaa of this title.

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 950aaa–3, Pub. L. 101–624, title XXIII, § 2334, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4019; Pub. L. 103–354, title II, § 235(b)(4)(B), (C), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3221, 3222, contained provisions relevant to telecommunications programs, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 104–127.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 950aaa–3

Title 7 — Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73